Casey Family Build thread....

[bansheekev]

Nope, I'm 44 with 4 kids (13, 7, and twins that are 4). The midnight mechanic thing is a necessity or the Roadster wouldn't happen at all. Refused to accept that option so I am going for it! Believe it or not, my wife just wants her garden (keep in mind it is 1/3 of an acre) and her animals (rabbits, goats, and chickens) and she is good. Hawaii every other year helps i guess too. Keeps me young I guess you can say!

[MRSQSL]

Since I'm actually working on the car after work, I thought it might be nice to post a middle of the week update.

A little drama today. Mike left for work and immediately called to inform us that Alyssa's car had been egged. What is wrong with people???? We have security cameras, but we had turned them off to make some adjustments and apparently didn't have them on. Guess what won't ever be turned off again. Anyway, Aly had to get up and clean her car. Makes me furious that someone would intentionally vandalize someone else's property. It's not like she could afford to fix it if the paint had been destroyed. Grrrrr (that's the mamma bear in me coming out).

If you've been following Mike's other threads, you know he finally solved the engine puzzle. Yay! The exhaust no longer drives me out of the garage. Sounds good, looks good and smells good. Who knew a regulator could make such a big difference?

I have been drilling away on the poor innocent panels. I couldn't sleep the other night so I laid in bed trying to figure out a daily goal so we'd be done in time for the painted body reunion. I'm sad to report I'm behind schedule. Not by much though. I think I can catch up tomorrow night if all goes well. The guy at work who usually does the deposit is off this week, so I'm losing time with going to the bank each evening. At least the weather has been better. I can tolerate the nineties.

Goodies are still arriving almost on a daily basis. Delivery folks must wonder what we are up to. The dogs have discovered that truck noises and squeaky brakes mean someone will ring the doorbell. Now they bark at the trash truck and other assorted vehicles they never cared about before.

I don't expect Mike to post pictures as I don't think we've had the camera in the garage. Probably should've. If the pics showed a variety of outfits, my story about working during the week would be more believable. Oh well.

Oooooh! I forgot to mention last week that I called chp for the inspection. They were booked for nearly a month out in Temecula, but I wanted an appointment a little further out just to be on the safe side. They told me they wouldn't book ahead like that and I should call back when my date was closer. Okay. Made a note on my calendar. The notice also came from Temecula DMV saying the plates are in and this is my third notice before destruction (juh juh juh - supposed to be scary suspenseful noises).

[QSL]

News flash from the batcave is the body should be ready in about 1-1/2 weeks. That gives us two weekends to get our stuff together. We are really close, just need to get some odds and ends done for the most part. Trying not to forget anything.

I plan on having the body mounted without the dash and then we will mount the dash after to make sure the fit is tight. Anyone see a problem with this? Also allows me some extra time to tidy up my wiring job.

[QSL]

Originally Posted by JimmyHelu

I've merged your latest post with the existing thread. Please do not keep starting new topics for the same family- if you have something useful to add then do so on this topic rather than creating another new one.

WTF?!?

[Silverstreak02]

Originally Posted by JimmyHelu

I've merged your latest post with the existing thread. Please do not keep starting new topics for the same family- if you have something useful to add then do so on this topic rather than creating another new one.

Let's see here: junior member, 2 posts and not a moderator. You're kidding right?

Jeff

[bcw]

Originally Posted by JimmyHelu

I've merged your latest post with the existing thread. Please do not keep starting new topics for the same family- if you have something useful to add then do so on this topic rather than creating another new one.

Looks like some stupid bot. If you look at the users only other random post, its pretty clear that its an app.

Originally Posted by JimmyHelu

Hi everbody..
How r u.
My name is JimmyHelu and i am new here.
thanks,

Who the crap writes this garbage.

[MRSQSL]

I feel better. I saw that merging post and immediately emailed Mike to find out what the heck he did. Poor guy. He emailed me back and pointed out it isn't a moderator and he didn't merge anything. I felt really, really bad when I thought we had done something offensive. Stupid bot.

[skjsming]

Originally Posted by MRSQSL

I feel better. I saw that merging post and immediately emailed Mike to find out what the heck he did. Poor guy. He emailed me back and pointed out it isn't a moderator and he didn't merge anything. I felt really, really bad when I thought we had done something offensive. Stupid bot.

Screw the bot. if it can not take a joke... It is all Mike's fault anyway...

[Mark Reid]

Great, it's bad enough when other forum members f' with you. Now we got damn robots stirring up crap!

[G-Pete]

Originally Posted by MRSQSL

A little drama today. Mike left for work and immediately called to inform us that Alyssa's car had been egged. What is wrong with people???? We have security cameras, but we had turned them off........ Grrrrr (that's the mamma bear in me coming out)

Hahahahaha, Mama Bear has to come down a little.

It is a prank, was 35 years ago when I did it (yes I can admit that because Presidents admit to smoking pot), my car get egged too --- so what?

On the surveillance footage you would see some teens driving off and laughing their butts off.......


....no drama

[svtjackal]

Originally Posted by G-Pete

Hahahahaha, Mama Bear has to come down a little.

It is a prank, was 35 years ago when I did it (yes I can admit that because Presidents admit to smoking pot), my car get egged too --- so what?

On the surveillance footage you would see some teens driving off and laughing their butts off.......


....no drama

Don't know if you are serious or not, but eggs can screw up a paint job real bad, I got my Camaro egged the first week I got it out from the dealer in front of my house, I had cameras and recognize the car and the stupid 16 year old douche, went to his house and made his parents pay to repaint all the damaged panels, they didn't think it was "funny"

And to get back on topic, can't wait to see the paint job done Casey family.

[G-Pete]

Originally Posted by svtjackal

Don't know if you are serious or not

Let's try this again...

Hahahahaha = hhahahaha
= whoot whahhhaha
= rolling eyes
= wink kiss


hmmmm guess not serious

[QSL]

Lots of progress this weekend!!! Julie will add the text later, but here are the pics!

[QSL]

next batch

[QSL]

More for your enjoyment!

[QSL]

last ones.

[MRSQSL]

Week 31:

So there I was, a grown woman, sitting on the floor holding a razorblade and crying. I wasn't suicidal, I was trying to install Fatmat. As someone else on this forum once said, "it's like trying to wallpaper a cat". The frustration was mainly coming from my memories of pictures I'd seen of all your cars where each application was absolutely perfect. I was looking down at my strip that was firmly and irrevokably adhered. The edges were rough and gaps existed in places which shouldn't have gaps. I couldn't take it. I felt like a failure and relieved the frustration with a bucket of tears. Once Mike assured me for the billionth time that it was fine, I started to believe him. Alyssa and I eventually got into a groove and were able to install the entire trunk. She was a ginormous help and it turns out she's really good at bending the edges into the shape we want so that I just cut on the bent edge. Yay! Of course, I was reading this morning that most people use paper templates. Oh. Smart. The instructions said make cardboard templates, but I have the cutting experience of a fluffy puppy and therefore my edges look gnawed rather than sliced. I figured cardboard was about as bendible as fatmat, so what's the point in agonizing twice. I think I'll try paper, but really it's gotten a lot easier with practice. Aly and I only did the trunk. It's not because we are exceptionally lazy, just that Mike was installing seat brackets and I didn't want to try to Fatmat around him (I had enough obstacles with the rollbars, etc).

The rear cockpit is all riveted in. Yay! The only panel left is the driver's side outer footbox, but I was reading this morning that it's easier to fatmat with that panel off. Guess that means it's more like wallpapering a walrus than a cat.

Mike had been working on a dead pedal. While at Home Depot, he found a strip of grip (hee, hee that rhymes) which was black, but one edge had a yellow stripe. He asked if I thought he should use that part. My first reaction was a crinkled nose with a horrified look. The more I thought about it, the more I liked it. He ended up installing it that way and I really like it.

Steve installed the heat shields on the footboxes. He was able to do the driver's side without help, but there's no way to wrap an arm around the outside and shove one on the inside simultaneously, so he asked me to hold a wrench on the inside. Sure. Wait, he didn't tell me I was going to have to lay upside down in the footboxes again. Whine. Fine. (That rhymes too.)

Mike excelled in sitting this weekend. Don't get me wrong, he did a TON of work, but quite often from a seated position. Not complaining. He had to test the new seats in order to get them bolted in correctly. The most comfortable position for riding is the most difficult for entering and exiting the automobile. What's more important? I say ride comfort is infinitely more important than ingress and egress. That was my theory until I tried to get out. Ouch. Until that HELLLLLLLP bar is welded in, it's nearly impossible to exit without a degree in yoga. Even the neighbor started laughing when he saw me remove myself. Grrrrr.

Mike changed out the jets (back to the old ones) to make sure we weren't making a mistake before sending them back to Jim. With the new regulator, it's possible the old jets were correct after all. Several minutes of smoke fleeing the pipes convinced me that the new jets work better than the old. Apparently Mike agreed as he changed them back. While he was test driving, though, a neighbor asked for a ride. That was kinda neat. Steve was at a friend's house (just down the road a ways), so Mike went and fetched him in the roadster. I guess he was a big hit. Yay!

The only other things I can recall (heat melted my memory once again) are the wiring and the radiator. Mike tidied up the wiring under the hood (well, if we had a hood). He is still unhappy with the appearance of the spark plug wires, but I think he's just a perfectionist. The radiator protector thing looks amazing. I was surprised how heavy it was though. Seems like that thing could withstand a small baby elephant or two. He and Steve put it together. Only had to rebuild the rivet gun once.

Other than the minor breakdown I had with the fatmat, it was a pretty enjoyable weekend. Can't wait until summer is over though. Like I've whined about over the last few weeks, it's HOOOOOOOOOTTTTTT! I may or may not have accidentally taken a wee nap on the sofa in the garage during the hottest part of the day yesterday. Oops.

The goal for this week will be to finish up the fatmat. I assure you I will NOT be the one cutting the carpet for installation. NO, no, NOOOOOOO. Fatmat is somewhat forgiving as you can fill in gaps with other small pieces you cram in. I don't think a mosaic pattern of carpet will be quite as appealing.

Learnings?

1) I learned that I am now qualified to handle a razor. Well, maybe only semiqualified, but far more advanced than I was a few days ago.

2) My hands are too fat to fit between the seat and the trans tunnel where the bolt needs to be installed on the seats.

3) People you have never seen before wave when you are driving around in gocart mode.

4) Home Depot sells carpet that should look okay in the trunk.

5) I have no idea how we are going to get this thing ready in time for the body coming home.

6) (Completely not related to anything remotely automotive) I learned that the medium sized dog is terrified of the beep my battery backup makes when the power goes out and she'll try to stuff herself under furniture that even the 5lb Chihuahua wouldn't fit under and she will get stuck.

[dallas_]

Good progress!

Think about leaving the drivers and passenger outside foot panels off until you get most of the carpet installed too. It makes it a LOT easier.

And you shouldn't have to cut much carpet for the cockpit. If yours are like ours, the FFR pre-cut carpet pieces fit really well. (you might even want to consider using them as templates for your fatmat)

[MRSQSL]

The passenger box is fully riveted together, but the driver's isn't. I'll definitely leave that one off for awhile longer.

Good idea about using the carpet pieces for the fat mat. I was just reading that on another thread. I thought the carpet seemed like it was slightly oversized, but I guess it's much easier to trim a little than try to wedge it into all the cracks and crevices and then cut it.

I'm curious about the removable trans tunnel lid thing. Should I install fat mat all the way up the sides of the tunnel or cut it a little short so there's more room for the top of the tunnel to fit on? Fat Mat seems so thin, I'm thinking the cover might still fit. Any experience with this?

[NiceGuyEddie]

at the risk of hijacking the best build thread ever, did anybody else notice that MrsQSL is so young looking, sometimes it's hard to tell if the photo is her or her daughter???

[MRSQSL]

Nice Guy Eddie, you are my new official favorite person!! Thank you!!

I was actually rereading your graduation post today. You have gone through so much! When I start to get frustrated, I try to remember that you went through SO much more.

Speaking of ages though, I was surprised at yours. I figured you were in your twenties. You look really young. Hopefully you can make it the next time we have a get together. Looking forward to meeting you in person and I'd love to see your car.

[MRSQSL]

I generally have been updating once a week, but we are working so hard and on a daily basis (plus my memory isn't what it used to be). I'm afraid it's come down to extra updates.

Mike wasn't feeling well today. He has herniated discs in his neck and they've really been flaring up. I gave him permission to work less tonight (like I'm in charge). Actually, I tried to get him to come home early from work, but I have yet to find a way to convince him. Anyway, I went out in the garage and mostly stared at the car. I had intended to fat mat some more, but realized the seats were still bolted in. Argh! My backup plan was to drill the rivet holes for the block off plate on the side of the trans tunnel. Couldn't find the darn plate! I searched high and low. Mike arrived home and admitted he saw Aly with it. Upon questioning we discovered she had put it in a Ziplock, but that was the extent of her memory. I eventually found it in aforementioned ziplock on a counter we never use because you have to be as narrow as a supermodel to fit between the counter and the sofa.

Drill, Cleco, drill, Cleco. Admire. Crap! It tilted slightly and was now crooked. The hole was still covered so that's all that mattered. Sigh. I'll rivet tomorrow.

Mike removed the driver's seat but then realized I felt enough sympathy to finish the job. As I was unbolting the bracket, I noticed a large droplet of liquid on the trans A frame. I shrieked to Mike and he investigated. It appears to be tranny fluid and is possibly coming from the sending unit. Barely any fluid, but still enough to worry about.

Mike was fiddling with the intake and discovered the bolts seemed to be looser than before. I'm pretty sure he's going to end up taking it off, replacing the gasket and putting it all back together. I knew it from the moment he noticed the gasket imperfection weeks ago. We need to finish the other stuff before the intake though. Fingers crossed we can get it done before the body comes home.

[h82crash]

Looks great! I remember the pressure I felt when the day was approaching to get my body back. On the road now and all was worth it. Hang in there and git er done!

[Scott L]

There are many was to do the transmission tunnel. I used fat mat on the sides, cut just under the edge of the lid. I also covered the top with a seperate piece of fatmat. I glued the carpet to the top of the tunnel, but left the sides loose. I then used industrial velcro to hold the sides of the carpet to the tunnel with strips of velcro down low near the floor. I had the carpet bound, so the edges would look finished.

To remove the tunnel top, I just need to lift the carpet sides, and remove some small sheet metal screws. The top and the carpet come off as one piece.





Good luck - Scott

[MRSQSL]

Thanks Scott! What pieces did you bind? We are at the point where we need to send them somewhere and I'm not 100% sure which pieces. I think I read somewhere it should be all sides of the tranny piece, all sides of the floor pieces (not footboxes) and all sides of the back cockpit wall. Is that correct?

[SDLS1Rider]

Originally Posted by NiceGuyEddie

at the risk of hijacking the best build thread ever, did anybody else notice that MrsQSL is so young looking, sometimes it's hard to tell if the photo is her or her daughter???

When I first came across this thread, I assumed MrsQSL's avatarr was of her daughter. No joke.

[MRSQSL]

I've been having an extremely crappy day. Thank you for the compliments. It really cheers me up. Yay!

[cobrajj]

Julie, I pretty much followed the MK3build site edging that he did. You may want to check the site for pictures. Jim

Carpet Overview [FFR Roadster]

[TroyT]

Originally Posted by NiceGuyEddie

at the risk of hijacking the best build thread ever, did anybody else notice that MrsQSL is so young looking, sometimes it's hard to tell if the photo is her or her daughter???

Eddie, I thought the same thing when I was looking at MIke's latest pictures where Jule and Ally were installing the fatmat in the trunk. I couldn't tell them apart.

[Drop Zone]

Fantastic build trip you and your family is on. Great documentation.